I don't know if you're planning to attend WPSCR in Butler this year, but I could easily drag the Raven over so you could toss it & your gear in their pond.
I've never seen anything like that on the lakes here but I've built several Koi ponds for people and always recommend a floating de-icer in the winter. In small ponds like that, the issue is ammonia (from rotting debris & fish waste) trapped under the ice and building up to toxic levels. The...
That was my first thought:
I haven't taken actual measurements but it sounds like the Raven I built last year... Any interest in @Tryin' a stripper build?
I spent quite a bit of time upstairs in the boat shop today. I got the strips done but I'll need to modify the set-up for the next boat.
Like the Tamarack and Cherry, the Tulip Poplar was prone to tearing out where the strip was really wide (thick part of the donor board) or if the grain...
Makes me recall this thread (or maybe this one) as losing, or destroying, the boat may be my biggest fear.
I liked that he was clear about moving gear only short distances at a time so as to keep it all within sight. It really would be easy to get separated from something in some of those areas.
If you can't find it locally, there are 2 of them listed on Facebook in the Pittsburgh area
One is an Explorer Duck Hunter Edition and the other is a little older listing.
My architect friend indulged me once more and plans are now actual size. I've switched away from Walnut in favor of Sassafras for the accent strips & trim because the Walnut I had wasn't very nice, I had a wide Sassafras board that was a bit too warped to make paddles and the width of this hull...
Of the woods that you've listed as available to you, I'd use the Cherry. It ages into a deep, dark red and, in my experience, darker woods like Walnut tend to lighten with age while lighter woods tend to darken. Cherry is a little fragile when working it- it will split easily if bent too...